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The Night to Remember
'"The Night to Remember" '''is the twenty-first episode of ''New Frontier, the fifth season, and the ninty-ninth episode overall. It served as the first episode of the midway season finale, leading into the 100th episode special. It was told and narrated by Rhys, with a special preview on September 21, 2014. The rest of the episode followed on September 29, 2014. In the episode, Simon is exiled aboard the Jellyfish 6536. Disaster strikes and the passengers and crew fend for their lives. The Episode Simon was led in handcuffs into the CQQ. It was early in the morning. The room stunk of seaweed. Behind him, there were dozens of other exiled citizens. The War had multiplied the number of Cases tenfold. Simon was still in shock. For five weeks, he waited, positive that Cherry and the Archduke would spare him. Now he was leaving his home. With no possibility of ever returning. Anyone exiled who returns to Tomorrowland was killed immediately. "Next group." Simon's prison guard made a 'come forward' motion with his hand. Simon led the group forward. They all had to individually sign a contract stating their consent to exile. Everyone did it. The punishment was death if not signed. Simon signed his and moved along. Ahead, the door to the docks. On his left, Simon could see the tunnel that was roped off. "ARCHDUKE ONLY," the sign read. The last time he was here, Simon didn't care what was behind the wall. Now, he was curious. What did the Archduke keep that was so secret only he could see? And what was stopping the Captains from taking a peek? "The Jellyfish sails in ten minutes!" a Captain called. Everyone swarmed toward the dock. Vek Dock was cold. Simon shivered against the early morning winds. They were wasting no time. Everyone must board immediately. Exile was swift. "But the ship!" a woman cried, "They always sink!" "Ma'am, get aboard." "But if we die! It's not fair!" The woman was pushed onto the ship. Simon took a seat against a crate. He glimpsed Tomorrowland for a final time. When everyone had boarded, the ship pulled away from the dock and set sail for the open current. "Good morning," the Captain said, "I am Major Edwin Eths. I will be your Captain on this exile journey. You will be taken eighty-three miles east of Tomorrowland and will disembark in the former kingdom of Dreamland. It is currently destroyed, but there are outposts that will help you adjust to life outside of Tomorrowland. We do not recommend you stay in Dreamland, but that you venture outside of..." "Why can't you just drop us off in VMK?" Everyone's heads turned. The man who spoke instantly regretted it. Major Eths frowned. "It was talk like that that got you banished here in the first place. I suggest you hold your tongue." The man did not speak again. "Anyway," the Major continued, "it would be incredibly unwise to return to Tomorrowland. The police force will be actively looking for you, and if you are sighted, you will be shot point-blank. This ship is called the Jellyfish. This is trip 6536. It will do good for you to remember in case a future employer asks about your exile. You are free to move around only on this outer deck. There are blankets and pillows toward the back of the ship for your comfort. If it rains, it rains. You do not get to move inside. There are police constantly patrolling the ship from the galleys. The stage is off limits. Food will be served three times a day. Our journey should last four days. If you have any questions, see a commanding officer at one of the posts. In total, we have 104 passengers and 33 crew members. Are there any questions I can answer now?" No one spoke. "Very well," Major Eths said, "Have a safe voyage." As soon as the Major stepped down, everyone conversed. There was heavy worry in everyone's voice. Simon turned to the woman next to him. "I'm Simon," he said with a childish tone. The woman, in her sixties, gave a slight smile. "Charlene." "I can't say I've ever heard of Dreamland," Simon said, "have you?" "No," Charlene replied, "I don't even think it's real. I think they drop you on an island and wait for you to die. How can we expect anything better? No one who is exiled ever returns. We can't ask them." "Right..." Simon said. Charlene pointed at the woman who spoke earlier about sinking ships. "She and I were exiled together. Her name is Nana. We were talking about a trip to Erut Nevda one of these days but we were overheard." Simon nodded sympathetically. "I was suspected of treason when they saw me with a woman." "What woman?" Charlene asked. Simon shrugged. "I don't even know." "It's unfair," Charlene said. "That's an understatement," Simon said. "Nana!" Charlene said, waving her over. Nana joined them. "Nana, meet Simon." The two shook hands. "Don't worry, Simon," Charlene said, "I'm sure you'll find opportunities." "Take the opportunity." "I'll try..." Simon said. "We won't survive," Nana said. Simon gulped. "Why do you say that?" "Simon," Nana said, "Have you ever heard of a ship that came back from exile?" "Of course not," Simon said, "they go to exile. They don't come back." "The crew?" Nana said. Simon scrunched his eyebrows. "Well..." "Don't worry, Simon. The Archduke is a murderer." Simon jumped up. "He is not!" Nana and Charlene gave him surprised looks. Simon found others staring at him around the deck. He slumped back against the crate. "Sorry..." Simon said, "I used to work for him." "Really?" Charlene said, "What was your position?" "Assistant." "You were...in his office?" Nana asked. She and Charlene exchanged glances. Simon nodded. "The War turned him against me. I don't know..." "You feel like you should be scared," Nana said, "but you have no idea what to think." "Yes." "Was there anyone back home?" Charlene asked, "Family, friends....a girlfriend?" Simon blushed. "Boyfriend?" Nana asked. Simon shook his head. "My girlfriend turned me in." Charlene and Nana gasped. "No!" "No!" "Yes," Simon said miserably. The three sat in silence for a moment. The ship was far away from the dock now. Most of the exiled were gathering blankets and pillows from the rear. "The sun is coming up," Charlene said, "Good morning." The Captain, Major Edwin Eths, frowned at the readings on the monitor. The temperatures seemed to be wrong. "Double check those, will you?" he told his First Officer. Eths had been a naval officer for well over fifty years. This was his last voyage. It wasn't the kind of mission he wanted to be his last. He had always envisioned a naval monumental journey; one for the books. No one would ever document the Jellyfish 6536. There would be no point. 104 exiled. That would be the end of that. Eths had never conducted an exile mission before. He had never seen Dreamland. There weren't even existing pictures. But the CQQ handed out missions and the Captains took them. There were rumors of sinking ships but Eths had never encountered such an event. Besides, there were the lifeboats. "All numbers make sense," the first officer said. Eths frowned. "Really? Definitely odd waters out here, then." The first officer agreed. Eths looked outward on the boat deck. The exiled were awaiting breakfast. Charlene gazed out across the water. It was so tranquil. But she knew it wasn't so. She had to find a way into the bridge. But how? "Cher," Nana said, coming up behind her, "aren't you going to eat?" "You know damn well I don't want to eat that," Charlene replied instantly. Nana swirled the oatmeal in the bowl. "It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten. And we ate slugs at that horrible cafe in New Orleans, remember?" Charlene smiled. "I truly miss VMK." "As do I," Nana said, "If we survive this, we go back." "To War, Nana?" Charlene said, "What we will return to is far worse." She turned back to the ocean. "We shall never see home again." Nana frowned. "There has to be a way." "Nana!" Charlene said as quietly as she could, "this was not supposed to happen! We were supposed to wait for the War to blow over. That was the goal. We're being exiled. No one can save us! There is no hope. Our only chance is to find a way off this ship. And if not, we have to send a message." "What about the boy?" Nana asked, "Simon? He worked for the Archduke. He might know a few things." "But even so, how could we let Ren know?" Nana did not reply. Charlene was right; sending a message was near impossible. "We have a long journey ahead of us," Nana said finally, "Let's get some rest." Simon shivered on his first night on the Jellyfish. Charlene and Nana were still eating their dinner, even though it was after midnight. The wind cut through Simon like a blade. Each of the exiled was given one blanket and one pillow; it was freezing. "Here," Charlene said, dragging Simon closer to her, "if we huddle, we'll be warmer." Simon didn't argue. "So," Nana said, inches from the other two's faces, "I guess we could always talk. Talking does an impressive job of passing time." "Yes, but your breath stinks," Charlene said. Nana joking blew into Charlene's face. Simon smiled. "We can start with introductions," Nana said, "My name is Margaret Iota. My grandchildren and children called me Nana, so that's the name I freely choose to go by." "You have children?" Simon asked. Nana looked away. Charlene patted her back. "I'm sorry," Simon said, "I didn't know that would upset you." "Ah, no," Nana said, sniffing, "I...it's just been a very long time since I've seen any of my children." "You don't have to talk about it." Nana nodded as if that were best. "My turn," Charlene said, "My name is Charlene Dixon. I worked at the Spacewalk Terminals before they were closed. I'm 63 years old, without children, and I enjoy Doctor Who." "Doctor Who is a masterpiece," Simon said. The others nodded. "My name is Simon Morgan. I worked for the Archduke as an intern before he promoted me to his personal assistant. My parents died on the Spacewalk Terminal when I was fifteen. Their bodies were sucked into space and never recovered. I've lived alone ever since." "I'm so sorry," Simon," Nana said. Simon shrugged, trying not to look bothered. "You said you worked directly with the Archduke?" Charlene said. Simon said he did. "What was he like?" Nana asked. "Oh," Simon said, "He was very ill. But very determined. I always admired him." "Simon," Charlene said, "He's delusional." Simon looked taken aback. "I think he's misguided, not delusional." "Misguided by who?" Nana asked. Simon didn't answer immediately. "I don't know. Maybe he knows Cherry." "Who's Cherry?" Charlene asked. "My girl...ex-girlfriend," Simon replied, "She's the one who turned me in." "I'm so sorry," Nana said, "was she beautiful?" "Very," Simon said, "I just don't know what came over her." Charlene and Nana kept looking at Simon as if they expected him to say more. But he didn't have anything else so he remained quiet. "Well," Charlene said, "We were in the Hub. The War was growing dangerously near so the Viceroy's men told everyone to retreat to the Spacewalk Terminal or Monorail to go home. We said the Spacewalk Terminal was closed and that it was too dangerous but some people had no choice." "The Monorail doesn't go to every neighborhood," Nana explained. "Anyway," Charlene continued, "we were on the Monorail when I told Nana that the War was going to ravage both nations. Nana agreed and we talked about all the places we still wanted to see before we died." "It was a very long list," Nana said, "but I let slip 'Erut Nevda.'" "They arrested us as soon as we stepped into our house." "You lived together?" Simon asked. "Yes," Charlene said, "it was economically cheaper." "So you've known each other for a while?" "Oh yes," Nana said, "We've known each other for about 25 years." "Seriously?" Simon said, "What was Tomorrowland like back then? Who was the former Archduke? He's not in any of the history books." "No," Charlene said, "The Archduke today erased his predecessor." "In any matter," Nana said, "We didn't live in Tomorrowland. We lived in VMK." "Nana!" Charlene cried. "Oh, Cher, it's not like he's going to tell anyone. We are on a voyage to our deaths." Simon's heart knotted. Why did she keep saying that? Exile was not a death sentence. "Sorry," Charlene said, "Nana should not have said that." "You lived...in VMK?" Simon asked, "Why did you come here?" "20 years ago," Nana said, "VMK fell on dark times. We were in danger. There were very few places that we could go." "Nonsense," Simon said, suddenly regretting his rudeness, "Sorry, but there are dozens of better kingdoms abroad." "Yes," Nana said, "but that's not what we want." "We wanted to find some place that needed our help," Charlene said, "and that place was Tomorrowland." "What other choices did you have?" Simon asked. "Just New Orleans Square," Charlene said, "The Barons of Orlean did not want to relinquish their land. But they were weak and doomed to fall, which they did. Tomorrowland was a better option." "Why did Tomorrowland need help?" Simon asked, "Was it the former Archduke?" "No," Charlene said, "it was the rise of this one." Nana and Charlene were silent for a moment. Then, "Do you know who Xerxes is?" Nana asked. Simon shook his head. He had never heard the term before. "It is rumored," Charlene said, "that Xerxes is the El Diablo, or the Devil." "That's impossible," Simon said with a laugh, "a religious idea! A Doctor Who villain from Season 2!" "Well Xerxes is not the REAL devil," Nana corrected, "but what he does is unleash hell." "And you're saying the Archduke is Xerxes? Is that his name?" "What is his name?" Charlene asked. Simon paused. He didn't even know. "Xerxes..." Simon said. Charlene and Nana nodded. "While the Archduke remains in power, we are likely to see constant warfare." "Only if we survive this," Nana said again. Charlene rolled her eyes. "It's his Viceroys," Simon said, "they're trying to overthrow him." Charlene nodded sadly. "Tomorrowland will fall," She said, "My fear is that it will drag VMK down as it sinks." "That's enough for one night," Nana said, "let's get some sleep." Dawn settled on the Jellyfish. Captain Eths yawned. It was a long night. He tried radioing the CQQ again. "Jellyfish 6536 to CQQ. CQQ do you read?" Static. "Jellyfish 6536 to CQQ. CQQ do you read?" Static. Major Eths sighed. "CQQ, we have faulty readings here. It says we haven't gone more than six miles, but that's impossible. CQQ, are you there?" The First Officer sighed. "Radio coms must be down again." Eths shook his head. "It's more than that. It's the War. They're putting us on lower priority." Eths looked out over the deck. Most of the exiled were getting up. Day 2 of 4. They must all be wondering about Dreamland. Dreamland. Major Eths himself was wondering about Dreamland. What was it like? He pictured clouds and fog and a soporific environment. Eths took a deep breath and tried radioing the CQQ again. He needed to ensure they were on the right course. Otherwise, it could be disastrous. Charlene was at the stern of the ship. Nana joined her. "So the boy was just as brainwashed as we thought," Nana said. Charlene cast her a glance. "Don't call him boy. His name is Simon." "Right," Nana said, "so have you developed a way of getting a message to Oahu?" "Why Oahu?" Charlene asked, "Why not Jess?" "Oahu is the Viceroy of Autopia Earth. She is the closest proximity." "The closest proximity is Judy's Nautilus, only look." Charlene gestured at the sea. "There is no more Nautilus." "Very true," Nana said, "but she was just one of the Viceroys. There are so many others." "Let us hope they succeed," Charlene said, "They must reach the Archduke." "What about the...Simon?" Nana said, "Should we tell him of our plan?" "It's not really a plan," Charlene said, "It's more of a...last ditch effort to gather information." "And then we can tell Oahu," Nana said. Charlene shrugged. "If we can figure out how." Simon started walking toward them. Nana and Charlene ended their conversation. Night fell. Simon was trying to get some rest in one of the raggedy chairs on the deck. If only they reclined... "Psst." Simon covered his head with his blanket. "Simon." Simon lifted the cover. "Psst!!" Simon glanced around. He hated hiding games. "Simon!" "What?" Simon said aloud. A hand clamped over his mouth. It was Nana's. "Shh!" "What are you doing?" Simon cried, ripping her hand away. "Come with me," she said. Simon groaned and followed her to the stern. Charlene was crouched in the shadow. "What is this?" Simon asked. "Simon," Charlene said, "We have not been honest with you." Ah, crud, Simon thought. "Twenty years ago," Nana said, "we were part of a peacekeeping organization, but it fell. We came here to escape the execution of its members. We believe the Archduke is using his control to kill those being exiled. We need to break into the bridge." "Hijack an exile ship?" Simon said, incredulous, "Are you asking to get killed?" "If we die trying, so be it," Nana said, "but we need your help." "Oh, HELL no!" Simon cried, "Absolutely not! I'll take exile over death any day!" "Why?" Charlene said, "What's out there? What do you believe in Simon? Is there no cause for which you are ready to lay down your life?" "I..." "Think about it," Nana said, "we are a speck of dust in a footprint. Don't blow away. Take another step." "What about you?" Simon demanded, "You have your children. Are you really willing to die when you've got them?" "I don't have them. None of them will speak to me." "Nana," Charlene said, "Let's not talk of that." "Why?" Nana said, "It hurts. I miss them. But I will die for them any day. They might have stopped loving me but I still love them. And I always will." Nana turned to Simon. "I fell in love with Charlene and I left my husband for her. My family never forgave me." Simon opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't. "Nana..." Charlene said. Nana grabbed her hand. "Love is my cause," Nana said, "The Archduke needs to learn to love. He needs to stop his exiles, which means we need to figure out why the ships never return. And that can only be accessed in the bridge." "We need you," Charlene said, "to keep watch." "That's it?" Simon asked. "It is," Nana said. Simon took a moment to think. They were right. He had nothing in his life he cared about. He never gave a damn about VMK. The Spacewalk Terminal. Sinking ships. None of it. He was as indifferent as Switzerland in every war. And these two elderly women, who found love across rocky waters and gave up their lives to be together, were now risking their lives further to help everyone. Not the people they cared about. Everyone. "Okay," Simon said, "but I don't want to keep watch. I want to come with you." Nana smiled. "Thank you. God Bless." Charlene waited until the guard came around the corner before knocking him out with a chop to the neck. Simon silently whistled. "Nice one, Cher!" Nana said. Charlene smiled smugly. They quickly took the guard's keys and entered the insides of the ship. "Split up," Nana said. "Keep moving up. Stop outside the bridge and stop anyone who gets in your way." Simon was about to say how uncomfortable he would be knocking out a guard, but the two women had dispersed. Simon found a staircase and ascended it. At the top was a hatch. He struggled with the metal wheel for sometime but eventually managed to push it open. Putting his hands on either side of the hole, he pushed himself through. "THE HELL?!" Simon found twenty guns pointed at him. Ah, shit, Simon thought bitterly. "Who are you?" someone asked. "Uh...I'm Simon Morgan." "Do we kill him?" "No clue! Has this ever happened?" "I don't know!" "Captain!" "Captain!" "Hello?!" The Captain stumbled into the cabin wearing his pajamas. He stared at Simon. "The hell?" The door burst open and Charlene and Nana ran in. "Oh my God!" one of the officers said, "is this a coup?" "A slave revolt!" another said, almost gleefully. "Everyone calm down," the Captain said, "everyone identify yourself." "Simon Morgan." "Clarice Simpson." "Diana Samuels." Oh my God, Simon thought, a fake name. That should have been obvious. Why didn't he give a fake name? God damnit. "Are there any more of you?" the Captain asked. Charlene shook her head. "Just me, Diana, and Simon." Nana nodded in agreement. "Just bring them back to the deck," the Captain said, "there was no real harm done." "They could have breached the bridge!" an officer said. "They did do that," the Captain said, "but they didn't crash us into anything." An alarm sounded. The Captain hurried over to the controls. "What!" he cried. He turned back to the three trespassers. "GET THEM OUT!" he shouted. Simon was pushed down the stairs. An officer caught him at the bottom and thrust him back out onto the deck. The ship was rocking violently. The waves had increased in magnitude. Water sloshed on the deck. Charlene and Nana fell out behind Simon. They scrambled to their feet. Simon seized a hand rail as the ship thrashed about. A light began to flash atop the mast. Simon was no expert, but he was certain it was a distress signal. Captain Eths flung around the bridge. All the readings were going haywire. The CQQ still did not reciprocate any calls. The SOS beam was flashing now. The ship was supposedly quickly approaching a shallow reef, but how could that be possible? They were in the middle of the ocean. The scanner said they had only moved two miles physically, yet they had travelled over fifty miles. Also impossible. No one could make any sense of it. The rumors. Sinking ships. They could not be true. There was no base in facts. It could not be. As Eths looked through the foggy glass out at the rolling waters, he found himself trembling. And then the Jellyfish collided. Simon was knocked backward. The Jellyfish heaved upward, turning heavy to its side, taking on significant water, before landing back in its upright position. But as the fog cleared, Simon could see a large coral reef beneath the ship. They collided. Simon whirled around to find Nana and Charlene. They were right. The ships always sank. There was no Dreamland. That's what it was. A dream. An alarm began to ring. The Captain hurried out of the bridge and onto the stage. "Attention. There has been an unsatisfactory mishap in the navigation. The crew will now begin a full evacuation. Following that, according to CQQ protocol, you are allowed to proceed to fend for yourselves." The Captain dropped the microphone and hurried to assist with the lifeboats. Simon remembered what he had heard in the CQQ; there was never enough lifeboats to save any of the exiled. Looking around the ship, there was only one lifeboat. It could probably hold 100 people. But the 33 crew members were already loading aboard, getting ready to cut it loose. They never got a chance. It was swarmed by the exiled. Charlene and Nana were among them. Simon quickly joined. Today was not his day to die. The ship began to list. The lifeboat touched the water. One of the officers shot a flare gun into the air. He threw it back onto the deck. "NO PASSENGERS! CREW ONLY!" he shouted. "YOU CAN'T LEAVE US TO DIE!" Charlene screamed. "WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS!" someone else cried. "IT'S THE CAPTAIN'S FAULT!" another shouted. The Captain shrunk in the lifeboat. Simon gazed about the tilted deck. Something wasn't right. As the crowd continued to try to gain access to the only lifeboat aboard, Simon crossed the ship. He glanced down into the water. There was a coral reef, some sharp rocks, fish...not the traditional ocean underwater. Where were they? Simon found the flare gun the officer shot. Pointing it away from the crowd, Simon shot at the horizon. The flare hit the sky. It exploded. In midair. Simon slid to the side of the ship closer to the water. He dipped his hand in the water. Warm. It should be freezing. Simon, confused, went back to the reef side. He grabbed a backpack and dropped it into the water. It sank, hit the reef, and stayed there. Also wrong. Reefs broke easily. This reef was meant to sink the ship. Simon swung his legs over the side. He dropped onto the reef. Solid. He was waist-deep in water. It felt like a pool. He inspected the coral. It was slightly authentic. He was no marine biologist, but something about the whole scenario did not seem right. Simon turned to look back at the ship. It was listing further. Eths made his decision. To hell with the rules. The Captain was to go down with his ship. Eths launched himself back aboard. He loudly announced that the exiled could be given seats. Despite the incredulous looks of his crew members, they allowed as many as they could hold. "You too, boy!" Eths shouted to the trespasser boy on the other side of the ship. But he jumped off. Eths stared. Was he insane? He climbed up to the listing deck to the boy. But he was standing in the water, looking around. Then he looked toward the bow and gasped. Eths followed his gaze. He drew in his breath. Son of a bitch. DARK BLUE The lifeboat departed the ship. Simon did not get a seat. He wasn't really trying, but he could see Charlene and Nana rowing away. The Captain was staring at the bow with Simon. There was a flashing yellow light. But Simon was no expert in morse code. Major Edwin Eths was an expert in morse code. The light was flashing distinctive morse code. Dash dot dot dash. X. Dot. E. Dot Dash Dot. R. Dash dot dot dash. X. Dot. E. Dot dot dot. S. XERXES. Simon's eyes locked with the Captain. The ship slid off the reef. Simon tried to run forward, but the force of the water knocked him backward. The Captain dove off the deck toward Simon. In the background, the lifeboat was steering away. "DO YOU HAVE NOTHING FOR WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO DIE?!" Simon screamed at the top of his lungs. He was hoping Charlene and Nana could hear. Something was visibly wrong here. And that light...that flashing light...it was almost as if it was a detonation sequence... The Captain reached the reef. He hurried over to Simon. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Honestly," Simon said, "I'm just an exile. Was that light morse code?" "It was," the Captain said, "for Xerxes." "Xerxes?" Simon shouted. He turned back to the lifeboat. "XERXES!!!!!" he screamed. The lifeboat did not come back for the Captain or Simon. "Simon was right," Charlene said. Nana squeezed Charlene's hand. "I know." The lifeboat was being quickly abandoned. There was a whirlpool. The lifeboat was magnetized. There was a magnetic force dragging the lifeboat to its doom. It was planned. Anyone aboard the lifeboat was doomed to drown. Charlene and Nana did not jump. There was no point. It was never the sinking ship that killed. It was the evacuation process. The boat dipped into the whirlpool. "I love you," Charlene said. "And I you," Nana said back. They embraced. "We will always survive," Charlene whispered into Nana's ear. "For we are the glue..." Nana said, a tear falling from each eye. The lifeboat was swallowed. Simon stared. The whirlpool was sucking up the exiled. The Captain and Simon were not being sucked away. Why? The Jellyfish was dragged under. "Horrible," the Captain said, "We were all supposed to die. The CQQ never responded to anything I said." "And the navigation was off, wasn't it?" Simon said. The Captain nodded. "I think," Simon said, "we're in a simulation of some sort. Those walls, that horizon. It's all fake. The whirlpool was generated." "Don't be ridiculous!" Captain Eths exclaimed, "that's impossible." "What about today was NOT impossible?" "True," the Captain said. He turned to Simon. "I'm Captain Major Edwin Eths." "Hello," Simon said, "I'm Simon Morgan. And I'm not lying about that." "Why did you break into the bridge?" "The two women, Charlene and Nana, said they were part of a peacekeeping organization investigating the Archduke. They...persuaded me to follow them." They stood in silence. The world was completely quiet. "Now what?" the Captain asked after ten minutes, "we're trapped here." More silence. Simon glanced around. "No..." Simon said, "Look. The room. It's draining." "Don't be absurd! It's the ocean!" "I already told you it's not! I don't understand it, but the water is draining." The water was indeed receding. The water left Simon's ankles. Soon, the reef was completely drained. Simon and the Captain watched in awe as the room emptied. "Stairs," Simon said, pointing at the edge of the reef. "What!" Major Eths exclaimed. Simon led the way. "Oh my God," he said when he reached the bottom. "What?" Major Eths said. "It's...we're...inside..." The doors slid open as they approached and the two men came into a hallway. The doors closed behind them. The room behind them began to fill with water again. "Oh God!" Eths cried. He backed away. Simon gagged. Bodies. There were bodies. Dozens of people were floating upward. "Charlene..." Simon said with a tear. Her hand was locked around Nana's. They floated past the glass. "Let's get out of here," Simon said, pointing down the corridor. "That entire time..." Eths said, "we were in a simulator. You were right. It was one large room. The readings...they never made sense..." "This way," Simon said, pulling Eths toward the archway. "Another room," Simon said, pointing at the glass. Eths stared. "It's beautiful." Simon peered through the glass. "All those treasures..." "Where are we?" Eths wondered aloud. He glanced around the hallway. "It seems to go around in a circle." Simon approached the door to his left. There were two large metal doors sealed together. And a sign hanging backward with green letters. "Oh wow," Simon said. He showed Eths. "We're on the other side of the CQQ. The Archduke's private room. This is what he keeps back here. A shipwreck graveyard and..." "LOOK!" Eths cried. Simon tried to find what Eths was talking about, and when he did, he nearly screamed. Someone wearing a diving suit was approaching the glass from the other side. The figure moved like a ghost. Slowly. Ever so slowly. Simon and Eths backed up against the wall. "It's just one of the bodies!" Simon said, "It's not alive!" "Looks pretty bloody alive to me!" Eths shouted. "We could run!" Simon said. "Where?" Eths yelled, "It goes around in a circle!" "The CQQ!" Simon said. "That's suicide!" Eths yelled back. The diving suit reached the doors. It plastered its hand on the glass. And then the doors opened. Simon and the Major waited for the room to flood, but it never did. The diving suit walked into the hallway and the doors closed behind it. Eths straightened. "I am Captain Major Edwin Eths of the Tomorrowland Navy. I was the Commander of the Jellyfish 6536 before it sank. Who are you and why have you brought us to this horrible place?" The diving suit did not answer. It turned toward Simon. "Hi. I'm Simon Morgan. Exiled." The diving suit reached up for its head. "Oh please don't decapitate yourself or something creepy," Simon said. The diving suit removed its helmet. "Oh," Eths said. "Oh," Simon said. "Greetings," the person in the suit said, "I'm sorry for your loss. My name is Judy. I was a former Viceroy of Tomorrowland. And this..." She gestured to the scene behind her. "This is Nautilus. Welcome." Promotion At the end of the previous episode, producers released an episodic trailer. It is at the right. It suggested the episode would focus on Simon's exile and the repeating story arc of sinking ships in Tomorrowland. The film used footage from the 1996 movie Titanic. The episode was widely an allegory for the ill-fated ocean liner. However, the actual ship in the series was significantly smaller. Production Opening Sequence For the first time in the series, producers designed a special opening sequence for the episode. Though each episode of Ghost Genocide ''got an opening sequence that tailored to the starring cast, this opening sequence was different from any other and was only used for this one episode. Continuity and Story Arcs Charlene and Nana both frequently say "We will always survive for we are the glue," a phrase first heard in "The Library." Previously called the motto of the Cult of Gallifrey in "The Colors," it is highly suggested that Charlene and Nana were both active members. The room in the CQQ behind the "Archduke Only" sign was finally explored. It was linked to the references in "The Intern" to Nautilus and the disappearance of Judy. Nautilus, a reference to Atlantis, was also revaeled to be alive. Marie's message to Simon in "The Phantom" was repeated. What that opportunity was was revealed in "The Assassin." Both Charlene and Nana know of Xerxes, passing the message to Simon. This implies that the Cult of Gallifrey faced Xerxes at one point. Previously mentioned in "The Cabinet," the Barons of Orlean suggest a prior political battle for the assimilation of New Orleans Square. It is unknown if this is important to the overarching plot. The three events Simon listed as events about which he did not care were VMK, Spacewalk Terminals, and sinking ships. VMK and sinking ships have been focus points of previous episodes, but the first mention of the SpaceWalk Terminals was in "The Sniper." This is the first episode in which we hear Simon's last name: Morgan. Simon mentioned his parents for the first time; they died on the Spacewalk Terminal when he was fifteen. Their bodies were never recovered. References Dreamland, the distant land of exile, is modeled on Donald's Dreamland from Disney's Toontown. The fog and soporific environment Major Edwin Eths pictures is very accurate. The 104 passengers is a subtle reference to ''Fantasyland, ''which had a recurring pattern of the number 5. 1+0+4=5. When Nana asks if Simon has a boyfriend, it is a refence to the ''Sherlock ''episode "A Study in Pink," in which John Watson asked Sherlock if he had a boyfriend when the titular character did not answer immediately about having a girlfriend. The entire episode is modeled after the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic. One such example includes the crew (an allegory for the most important people aboard) abandoning the exiled (the representation for steerage passengers in 1912) according to naval protocol. Judy approaching the two survivors in the diving suit was modeled after the "Impossible Astronaut" episode of Doctor Who. Trivia *The episode was planned since the tenth episode. It will serve as a foil to the real-life RMS Titanic. **The title of the episode is based off the movie, A Night to Remember, ''about the sinking of the ''Titanic. *The original idea for the episode was to incorporate a motley crew of passengers. This was later traded for the concept of two survivors and two other supporting characters. *Major Edwin Eths envisioning a grand departure from his naval career is symbolic of his real-world counterpart, Captain Edward John Smith. His thought is also foreshadowing. *Charlene and Nana talking about Ren was improvised on the spot. *Simon's parents dying on the Spacewalk Terminal was also improvised shortly before the airing of the episode. *Charlene and Nana's search for a land ravaged by trouble is a reference to Harvey Dugood's quest of equal intentions. He would later find 19GL in the same way they found Tomorrowland. *The idea that Xerxes is the devil prompts Simon to reference "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" from Doctor Who. *Oahu, the Viceroy of Autopia Earth, is the second Viceroy to be named. The first was Barry Euca from "The Intern." *The line "We are a speck of dust in a footprint. Don't blow away, take another step," is one of the producer's favorites. They did express discontent that it was said by Nana. *Charlene and Nana's romance features the first gay characters since Rhys in Ghost Genocide. *Simon's last name was not revealed because producers never thought it would be important. It is unknown if this will be true. *The bodies floating upward in Nautilus were based on the death of Scooti in "The Impossible Planet." Category:Episodes Category:New Frontier Episodes